Results
The evidence base for this review was very limited, as there were no comparative
studies and all the 22 included studies were conducted in animals, their purpose
being to test the feasibility of NOTES. There were no comparative studies, study
numbers were low, and safety and efficacy outcomes were limited, thus it was
difficult to compare the safety and efficacy of using NOTES to perform intraabdominal
surgery with existing techniques. However, it can be determined that at
the present stage of development, NOTES does not appear to be as safe or effective
as current surgical techniques. This indicates that the use of NOTES for intra-